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Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume 28 Article 13 Issue 6 March-April Spring 1938 Current Notes Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/jclc Part of the Criminal Law Commons, Criminology Commons, and the Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons Recommended Citation Current Notes, 28 Am. Inst. Crim. L. & Criminology 924 (1937-1938) This Note is brought to you for free and open access by Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology by an authorized editor of Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons. CURRENT NOTES NEWMAN .F. BAKER [Ed.] Northwestern University Law School Chicago, Illinois Federal Aid Bill-The American to comply with certain approved Prison Association is again back- standards of construction and ad- ing the Federal Aid Bill printed ministration." below. Mr. Cass, General Secre- tary, writes: H. R. 9147 "You will please recall that last A BILL year we attempted to obtain Fed- eral Aid to improve the prison, To provide for the general welfare probation, and parole systems of by establishing a system of Fed- the various states. The President eral Aid to the States for the did not feel that he could go along purpose of enabling them to pro- with us at that time, and we with- vide adequate institutionaltreat- held a bill that had been carefully ment of prisoners and provide prepared. Except for the amounts improved methods of supervision in the bill the one now before Con- and administration of parole, gress is identical. This year we probation, and conditional re- ask for less money for prison con- lease of offenders. struction and renovation, but the Be it enacted by the Senate and same amount for probation and House of Representatives of the parole. Those in our membership United States of America in Con- who have had the benefit of long gress assembled, That, for the pur- experience and wide observation pose of assisting the several States are convinced that many of the and their political subdivisions states will not be able to improve thereof to provide secure and ade- their prison systems, structurally quate housing, and constructive and administratively, and their educational employment and treat- probation and parole systems, ment facilities for those who have without federal aid. Therefore, the been convicted of crime or who are Association regards this effort as a held for trial or as witnesses, there major undertaking and invites your is hereby authorized to be appro- active participation as a member priated for the fiscal year beginning and follower. It should be July 1, 1938, the sum of $10,000,000, kept in mind that this legislation and there is hereby authorized to is not an attempt to force the Fed- be appropriated for each fiscal year eral government upon the states, thereafter a sum sufficient to carry but instead provides a voluntary out the purposes of this Act. arrangement whereby the Federal SEC. 2. For the purpose of as- government can give aid to a state sisting the several States and their if the state desires it and is willing political subdivisions to establish [924] CURRENT NOTES 925 and maintain, in accordance with Office, make payments of such adequate and scientific standards, amounts at the time or times speci- properly safeguarded systems for fied by said administrative depart- the supervision of offenders re- ment or agency. The President leased: (1) by probation, (2) by may also, in his discretion, estab- parole, or (3) by any form of con- lish a board of not to exceed seven ditional release, there is hereby qualified persons who shall serve authorized to be appropriated for at his pleasure and without com- the fiscal year beginning July 1, pensation to advise him and the 1938, the sum of $2,500,000 and for said administrative department or each fiscal year thereafter a sum agency in the administration of this sufficient to carry out the purposes Act. of this Act. SEC. 5. The said administrative SEC 3. The sums made available department or agency shall also under this Act shall be allotted to collect and disseminate information the several States on such terms to the several States and their and conditions as the President political subdivisions concerning may from time to time prescribe. crime prevention, release proced- In determining the amounts, terms, ure, the treatment of criminals, the and conditions under which the instruction of personnel, and to funds herein provided shall be promote cooperation between the granted, the President shall pro- Federal Government and the sev- vide, among other things, for (1) eral States in the administration financial participation by the State and the conduct of their institu- in any project or program; (2) tional and extramural handling of equitable distribution of the funds offenders against the laws of the on the basis of (a) the prisoner United States and the several population of the State, (b) special States. institutional, probation, and parole SEC. 6. The President is hereby problems, (c) the financial needs authorized to prescribe such rules of the respective States; (3) and and regulations as may be neces- shall require of the States seeking sary for the administration of this Federal aid the establishment and Act. As used in this Act, the term maintenance of approved standards "State' means the several States, under which each State shall con- the District of Columbia, and the trol or manage its own probation, Territories of the United States. penal, and parole systems. SEC. 4. The President may desig- nate such department or agency of Loesch Resigns-At the age of 86, the Government as he deems Frank J. Loesch, President of the proper to assist in the administra- Chicago Crime Commission for ten tion of this Act and authorize such years, resigned his office and be- department or agency to certify to came President Emeritus. Under the Secretary of the Treasury the the Presidency of Mr. Loesch, the amounts to be paid to the States, Chicago Crime Commission per- and the Secretary of the Treasury formed valuable services to the shall, through the Division of Dis- city and remained in active opera- bursement of the Treasury Depart- tion in a period when crime com- ment and prior to settlement and missions in many other cities found audit by the General Accounting it necessary to cease their opera- CURRENT NOTES tions. During his period of service, per cent and robbery more than Mr. Loesch became a local "insti- sixty per cent. Automobile thefts tution" and his decision to give up have dropped from one hundred his work was received with regret and fifty a day to an average of by the entire community. eight and the recoveries of stolen The Commission is fortunate in vehicles approximate ninety-seven having as the new President Ber- per cent. The economic advantage tram J. Cahn, who has been a is reflected in rate reductions by member of the Chicago Crime insurance companies as high, in Commission since f921, Vice-Presi- some instances, as sixty per cent." dent since 1933, and Chairman of its Committee on Courts and This table shows the criminal Prosecutions. Mr. Cahn is one of court activity in Cook County and Chicago's most public spirited citi- itself eloquently supports Mr. zens and has been active in civic Chamberlin's statement: organizations for many years. 1937 Henry Barrett Chamberlin will Indictments Returned ..... 2,038 continue as operating Director and Cases Pending as of Decem- the other officers of the Commis- ber 31 .................. 214 sion have been held over for Time Spent on Bench, hrs..6,8004 further service. The Journal con- Cases Disposed ........... 2,193 gratulates the Chicago Crime Com- Death Penalty ............ 4 mission, the parent organization of Penal Institutions ......... 910 its type, for twenty years of meri- House of Correction ....... 338 torious service. County Jail ............... 99 Probation ................. 297 Verdict Not Guilty ........ 110 Chicago Crime- In his annual re- Finding Not Guilty ........ 131 port to the Chicago Crime Com- Stricken Off With Leave to mission, Henry Barrett Chamber- Reinstate ............... 99 lin, operating Director stated: Nolle Prosse .............. 109 "In the first report of the operat- Jury Trials ............... 344 ing director, nineteen years ago, Jury Disagreed ........... 6 appeared this paragraph: Jury Mistrial .............. 29 'The abuse of special privilege in Habitual Counts Waived ... 58 every department having to do 'Felony Waivers ........... 583 with the administration of crim- Murder Counts Waived .... 38 inal law is appalling. There is not Gun Counts Waived ...... 188 a single practice in the routine of Robbery Counts Waived ... 65 procedure against crime that is not Burglary Counts Waived .. 164 either inefficient or worse.' Larceny Counts Waived ... 7 Today in Chicago that statement Rape Counts Waived ...... 3 would be a libel. While crime has Findings Guilty ........... 1,949 increased, generally, through the Verdicts Guilty ........... 197 nation, in Chicago there has been a sharp decrease. During the past five years there has been a steady Separate Criminal Courts?- "To and consistent lessening of major the Journal of Criminal Law and crimes of violence. Murder and Criminology: burglary are down about forty-five Recently I had occasion to visit CURRENT NOTES 921 the Court of Appeals at Albany. these two different questions of the While waiting for the case in which law, one involving criminal and one I was interested to be reached on involving civil violation. the calendar, I listened to four This prompts the suggestion that legal arguments before ihe Court; the Court should be divided into two concerning the interpretation two branches-one branch to con- of New York City's intricate Sales sider cases involving criminal acts Tax Law, one for a new trial for a and the other branch to deal with man, convicted of first degree mur- cases involving breaches of con- der, on the ground that his act was tract between parties.